India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the final of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
